Sondes having a plurality of sensor-containing probes have been used to monitor water quality and conditions of water sources for many years. Examples of sondes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,383 to Lizotte et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,405 to Dickey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,526 to Saffell, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,677,861, 6,798,347, 6,928,864, 6,938,506, 7,007,541, and 7,138,926 to Henry et al.
Current sonde housings may include metal, plastic or a combination thereof, but are limited to low pressure ratings. The plastic contributes to the low pressure rating due to the reduced material strength it has compared to metal. Metal is often more expensive than plastic and is susceptible to rusting, especially when as the exterior of the housing and exposed to fresh water or salt water. However, plastics, in particular thermoplastics, have several disadvantages in comparison to metal: low rigidity and tensile strength; dimensional instability as a result of a high temperature coefficient of expansion and high water absorption; low maximum service temperature; low impact strength; low hardness and scratch resistance; and low creep resistance. The disadvantages need to be overcome to take advantage of the cost saving of using plastics.